Food and Nutrition for Dancers I

Dancers’ nutrition requirements

This post is going to be pure nutrition science so get your nerdy brain working!

Food is fuel and how you fuel your body can have a significant impact on your development as a dancer.

Your long-term nutrition can affect your physical, psychological, and emotional health; all of which make up your artistic characteristic.

When it comes to nutrition, what you eat is only half the story; the other half is how you eat.

Since this is the first post on nutrition let’s start with the WHAT (although I love the HOW bit so much more!)

Nutrients can be divided into two main groups – macronutrients (the “core” nutrients) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

Let’s start with the Macronutrients – Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat.

And I’m also adding to that, WATER (hydration).

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate is the primary energy source for dancers and is essential in keeping your stamina up.

In food, carbohydrate exists as sugar and starch. Depending on the chemical structure of the carbohydrate (and other nutrients present in the same meal), the speed of which sugar (energy) is released varies from slow to rapid.

Generally speaking, you want to base your everyday eating around low GI (Glycaemic Index) foods, which are those carbohydrate foods that give you sustained energy.

When you need to refuel quickly, like during intense training or straight after a full length show, you want some quicker releasing carbohydrate.

Refined grains – white rice, bread, wrap, crackers, cereals.

Some fruits e.g. watermelon

Fruit juices

“Fun foods” such as lollies, cakes, biscuits, cookies, soft drinks and the like.

Protein

Protein is what makes up your cells, enzymes, and hormones and is essential for the body’s optimal functioning. Protein makes up your muscle tissues and is the core to metabolism. During training (especially strength-demanding ones) you will breakdown your muscle tissues, which need to be replenished by protein from the foods you eat afterwards. Since protein is the building blocks of your body, dancers under 18 years of age require more protein than adults to facilitate normal growth and development.

Protein rich foods include:

Legumes

Nuts and seeds

Fish and seafood

Meat, poultry and eggs

Milk and yoghurt

Do you see how there’s plant and animal sources of protein? If you’re a vegetarian/vegan or just don’t eat much meat in general, don’t worry – you can still get enough protein from plant foods; you just need a little extra planning though.

Fat

We need some fat from food to get essential fatty acids (those fats that your body can’t make itself) and optimise the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

There are two types of fats – saturated and unsaturated – and dancers can benefit from unsaturated fats. Omega-3 fat is one of the most well-known unsaturated fats and is vital for brain and heart health.